Folded paper products and dispenser therefor



Feb. 2, 1960 o. F. CHAPLIN 2,923,435

FOLDED PAPER PRODUCTS AND DISPENSER THEREFOR Filed Nov. 14, 1955 INVENTOR. OLIVER E Cf-fAPL/N A T TORNEYS United States Patent Office,

2,923,435 Patented Feb. 2, 1960 FOLDED PAPER PRODUCTS AND DISPENSER THEREFOR Oliver F. Chaplin, Portland, reg., assignor to Crown Zellerbach Corporation, San Francisco, Calif, a cerporation of Nevada Application November 14, 1955, Serial No. 546,358

7 Claims. (Cl. 221-47) This-invention relates generally to folded paper products, such as paper towels, paper napkins and the like and to a dispenser for dispensing such products for use.

In summary, the invention provides a rectangularly shaped paper sheet folded along lines parallel to a diagonal in a manner to form alternately folded diagonally extending panels to thereby provide a folded sheet having accessible triangular tab portions, and capable of being formed, packed and dispensed for unfolding without the necessity of having to intertwine the leaves of the paper for dispensing as is required in prior folded paper products.

More particularly, the diagonally folded paper product of this invention comprises a central panel, a first intervening panel hinged to one edge of said central panel and folded with one face thereof against a face of said central panel, a second intervening panel hinged to the opposite edge of said central panel and folded with one face thereof against the opposite face of said central panel, and a triangularly shaped pull tab panel hinged to each intervening panel and folded against the opposite face of said intervening-panel.

The invention further provides for use with such diagonally folded paper sheets, a slotted dispenser container from which such folded paper sheets may be dispensed merely by grasping a triangular tab portion accessible through a triangular or diamond shaped enlarged opening in the dispenser slot. In combination, the dispenser container and folded paper sheets provide a dispenser container package.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and carried into effect, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this specification and in which the invention is described with particular reference to folded paper towels. However, the invention is not to be limited to paper towels since its scope is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them and may encompass all folded paper products when formed and dispensed in accordance therewith.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partially cut away isometric view'of a dispenser with enclosed diagonally folded paper towels in position for dispensing.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the dispenser of Fig. 1, taken in the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1 but showing only two diagonally folded towels in the container, other towels and elements shown in Fig. 1 being omitted from Fig. 2 for clarity.

I Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the container of Fig. 1 showing the dispensing slot with one of its triangular shaped enlargements in registration with a triangular tab portion of a folded paper towel.

Fig. 4 shows a blank fromwhich the folded paper towel of this invention may be formed.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a paper towel folded in accordance with this invention and adapted to be used in combination with the dispenser as shown in Figs. 1, 2

, 2 a and 3, the relative positions of certain panels and tab portions being shown in phantom lines.

Fig. 6 is a, perspective view of the towel of Fig. 5 showing in phantom lines the relative positions of the various panels and tab portions.

Fig. 7 is an isometric view of a dispenser container package in which diagonally folded towels may be marketed and from which such towels may be dispensed through the tear out portion indicated by dotted lines.

In Fig. 1 a dispenser container package 10 is illustrated as comprising a substantially rectangular box 11 having a removable cover 12. The container is provided with an elongated bottom slot 13 extending longitudinally thereof and having a central enlargement 14 formed by oppositely aligned triangular openings 14' and 14" cut into the edges of such slot. The particular construction of the container is immaterial as long as it has the described slotted bottom arrangement, as any suitable container can be employed.

For the sake of convenience, the enlarged opening 14 formed in the slot 13 by the oppositely aligned triangular cut out portions 14' and 14" is referred to herein as a diamond shaped opening and such term is intended to also cover those cases where the angles at the vertices of such triangular portions are right angles which is the most desirable construction for use with the paper towels of this invention since the triangular tab portions 19 of such towels are right angled themselves. The enlarged opening 14 is centrally positioned in the slot 13 with an axis of the diamond transverse at right angles to the longitudinal axis of such slot.

Folded paper towels 16 stacked in face-to-face relationship are shown as enclosed by the dispenser container 11 and held in position by means of aloosely sliding weight 17. The dispenser container with its contents may be fastened to a wall by any suitable means such as the slot and screw arrangement 18 illustrated.

As shown in Fig. 2, towels 16 are not intertwined, but are merely stacked one on top of the other in face to-face relationship. As hereinafter explained, the manner of folding the towels is such that a triangular tab portion 19 is accessible from either side thereby elimimating the necessity for' always having to position a particular face of the towel down, as each face of the towel is the same as the opposite face. Also, intertwining of the towel panels in order to bring successive towels into registration with the dispensing slot 13 is eliminated. Moreover, there is no need to have a particular end of the towels adjacent a particular end of the container because no matter how the towels are inserted, the diamond shaped opening 14, which extends on both sides of the slot 13, will register with a triangular tab portion 19 of the bottom towel.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the dispenser container of Fig. l and shows the elongated slot 13 with its enlarged diamond shaped opening 14 in registration with the triangular tab portion 19 by which a towel 16 may be grasped and pulled from the dispenser.

- Fig. 4 shows a blank Sheet from which the towel of this invention may be folded and comprises generally a rectangular blank 21 of any suitable flexible absorbent material, preferably paper, and desirably in theform of a squarefoldable along a plurality of parallel diagonally extending fold-lines, which may be imaginary lines, including a first pair of fold lines 22disposed substantially equi-distant of the diagonal extending between opposite corners of the blank, and a second pair of fold lines 23 parallel .to and disposed substantiallyequidistant outboard of the first pair of fold lines 22. p 1

When the blank is alternately or reversely folded on the lines 22 and 23, a folded product is formed as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 in"which there is a centralpanel 24 having hingedly connected thereto and reversely and inwardly folded on its opposite faces a pair of intervening diagonally extending parallel panels 25, each of which has hingedly connectedthereto a triangular tab portion-19 formed by rever'sely folding the" eorner portions of the blank sheet-inwardly on such intervening panels 25 along the'outboard yfold'lines 23. Thus," in folding the blank of Fig. 4 alternate reverse folds are made along spaced apart fold lines 22 and 23,' and oppo-' site panels are folded inwardly on jboth' faces of the central panel 24 with diagonally opposite corners forming triangular tabs 19'which may be readily grasped by fingers for pulling.

As the folded paper towel 16 has its own pull tab 19 adapted to drop 'into accessible position in registration with the diamond shaped opening 14, there is no necessity for intertwining the leaves or panels of successive paper towels 16 stacked in the dispenser container 1-1. Thus, pulling of towels fr'om the dispenser is much simpler because there is far less friction toovercome than with intertwined towels.

Moreover, towels may be placed either-side down and with either end of the towels adjacent either end of the container. Thus, no special technique is involved in loading the dispenser, it being only necessary to place such diagonally folded towels face down in the container with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of dispensing slot 13. The dispenser container is of proper'length and width to position the towels so that one of their tab portions 19 will register with 011c of the triangularly shaped end portions of 'the enlarged diamond shaped openings 14.

The manner of folding the towel from the blank 21 is important and should be correlated with the size of slot 13, and particularly with the enlarged diamond shaped opening 14 with which the tab portion 19 is to register. i V

In this connection, it is of particularimportance that the width (a) of intervening flaps 25 and the width (b) of the attached tab portion 19 be correlated to the location and size of the enlarged diamond shaped opening 14, so that'the tab 19 will readily fall into accessible position upon reporting to the slot 1 3 inregistration with the diamond shaped opening 14. v In general this is accomplished by making the distance between one side of the dispenser container 11 and the far edge of the elongated slot 13, slightly greater than the width (a) of the intervening panels 25, and at the same time 14 board edges 25' of the intervening panels 25 are also the iuboardedges of the triangular tab portions 19, and

so, in order to insure that such tab portions are free to i fall into accessible positionwhen in registration with the enlarged opening 14, the width (h) of the elongated the total diagonal distance (i) between opposing cormaking the width (b) of the pull tab 19 slightly less than the distance (d) from one end of the diamond shaped opening 14 to the far edge of the elongated. slot 13. This will insure registration of the triangular tab portion 19 with the diamond shaped opening 14 so that such tab portion will fall into position for 'ready access by the fingers of a person desiring to remove a towel from the dispenser.

The width (b) of the-tab portion 19 should 'be .no greater and preferably less than the width (a) of the intervening panel 25 which in turn should ,be not greater and preferably less than the'width (e) of. the central panel 24 so that when folded, the tab 19 will be confined within the edges of the central panel 24 thereby insuring registration of the tab 19 with the diamond shaped opening 14 when the folded towel is positioned fiat in the dispenser container 11. 'It will be noted that when folded as described, thereare five plies in the central portion of thetowel. This forms a central bulge in a stack of such towels which operates to push triangular portions of the towels into the enlarged opening 14.

cordance with the dimensions of the folded product as hereinbefore explained. As a typical example for conventionalsized square paper toweling 011 9% inches each side, width (e) of the central panel is 4 inches, width (a) of each interveningpanel is 2.6 inches, width (b) of the 'tab portion is 2.3 inches, and the width (g) of the overlap or five ply area is 1.2 inches.

The dispenser container package, which utilizes a combination of the dispenser container with its particular configuration of dispensing slot and diagonally folded towels, provides a useful and convenient unit from which towels maybe readily dispensed merely by grasping a pull tab portion .19 accessible, through the enlarged diamond shapedopening 14.

Fig. 7 illustrates a dispenser container package 30 comprising .a rectangular box or carton 31 suitably made from paperboard .and provided with a tear out portion 32, indicated by dotted lines 33, which is removable to open an elongated strip with a centrally disposed diamond shaped opening through which folded products, such as towels or facial tissues can be dispensed. Such a package can be employed to market products for direct use and need not necessarily be employed in conjunction with separate dispenser containers.

Other uses of the invention will be apparent, such as for paper napkins dispensed from horizontally facing slots, and the like.

1. A dispenser container package including a dispenser container and dispensable folded paper sheets enclosed therein, said dispenser container comprising a rectangular box adapted to contain folded paper sheets stacked in face-toaface relationship, an elongated slot running longitudinally of saidbox, and a substantially diamond shaped enlarged opening centrally disposed in said slot and having an axis transverse of said slot; and a plurality of dispensable diagonally folded paper sheets stacked in face-to-face relationship in said dispenser container, said folded sheets each being formed from a sub stantially rectangular sheet of paper folded along aplurality ofdiagonally extending linesto form a diagonally extending central panel, a pair of diagonally extending interveningpanels inwardly folded on opposite faces of said central panel, and a pair of triangular tabs each of which is inwardly folded on anouter face of an associated intervening panel; said triangular tabstbeing in registration with said enlarged diamond shaped opening of .said .elongated slot, whereby a tab of an outermost sheet of said stack of sheets is positioned for grasping to eifectwithdrawal of said ,sheet from said box in substantially unfolded condition. t t

2. A dispenser container package-including a dispenser container and dispensable paper sheets enclosed therein;

said container .comprisinga .box adaptedqto -,.c ontain folded paper sheets stacked in face to face relationship, an elongated slot running longitudinally of, the bottom of said box, and a substantially diamond shaped opening centrally disposed in said slot and having an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said slot; and a plurality of dispensable'diagonally folded paper sheets stacked in face to face relationship in said box on the bottom thereof, said folded sheets each being formed from a substantially square sheetof paper folded along four diagonally extending substantially parallel lines to form a diagonally extending central panel, a pair of diagonally extending intervening panels of width greater than one-half and less than the entire width of said central panel, said intervening panels being hingedly connected one each to opposite edges of said central panel and inwardly folded on opposite faces of said central panel thereby forming a central overlap area, and a pair of triangular tab portions eachpf which is hingedly connected to one of said intervening panels and inwardly folded against an outer face thereof; said triangular tab portions being in registration with said diamond shaped opening of said slot, and said slot being of width greater than the width of said central overlap area of said folded paper sheet whereby a tab portion of the bottom sheet of such stack of sheets is free to fall of its own weight through said enlarged opening to protrude from said box whereby said protruding tab portion may be grasped and pulled to remove said bottom sheet from said box in substantially unfolded condition.

3. A dispenser container for providing a package combination with a plurality of folded sheets to be positioned therein and to be dispensed therefrom, each of said sheets including a pull tab portion of substantially right triangular configuration to be grasped for effecting removal of the respective sheets in substantially unfolded condition from said container; said container comprising a retaining wall with which a stack of such folded sheets is engageable with the tab portion of the outermost sheet of such stack adjacent said wall, said wall having an elongated slot extending transversely from adjacent one side to adjacent the other side thereof, and an enlarged opening communicating with said slot and disposed substantially centrally of said wall intermediate said slot ends, said enlarged opening being defined by a pair of triangular cut out portions extending in opposite directions from opposite side edges of said slot and having the vertices thereof spaced from said respective slot side edges whereby said opening is provided with a substantially diamond shaped configuration, the angle of the vertex of each of said cut out portions being at least ninety degrees, and the distance from each said vertex to the base of the other triangular cut out portion being greater than the distance from the vertex of such pull tab portion to the base thereof whereby a pull tab portion of each sheet of such stack may pass through said enlarged opening for grasping to effect removal of such sheets individually from said container through said slot in substantially unfolded condition.

4. A dispenser container package including a dispenser container and a stack of folded sheets positioned in face to face relationship therein to be dispensed therefrom individually in substantially unfolded condition; said container comprising a sheet stack retaining wall having an elongated slot extending thereacross and a substantially diamond shaped enlarged opening extending transversely of and communicating with said slot and being disposed substantially centrally of said wall intermediate opposite ends of said slot; each of said sheets when unfolded being of substantially rectangular configuration and being folded along a plurality of parallel diagonal lines spaced substantially equi-distant from and extending substantially parallel to a line connecting opposite corners thereof, said lines defining a diagonally extending central panel and a pair of substantially triangular pull tabs which are reversely folded in opposite directions and overlie opposite faces of said central panel, each of saidsheets being free of folds in a direction transverse to thediagonal fold lines thereof in a central area thereof, a pull tab of each sheet of said stack contacting a tab of the adjacent sheet ofsaid stack, the pull tabs of said sheets being in registration with said diamond shaped opening whereby a tab of the outermost sheet of said stack adjacent said wall may pass through said opening for grasping whereby withdrawal of individual sheets from said container in substantially unfolded condition may be effected. i

5. For positioning in and dispensing from a dispenser container which is to provide part of a container package and which includes a retaining wall having a dispensing slot therethrough, a folded sheet to be positioned in said container to be dispensed through said dispensing slot in substantially unfolded condition and which when 1111- folded is of substantially rectangular configuration, said sheet being folded in opposite directions along a first pair of substantially parallel diagonal fold lines which are spaced substantially'equi-distance from and extend substantially parallel to a line connecting diagonally opposite corners of said sheet, said first pair of fold lines defining a diagonally extending central panel and a pair ofintermediate panels overlying and engaging opposite surfaces of said central panel, said sheet also being folded along a second pair of substantially parallel diagonal fold lines spaced from said first pair of fold lines to provide a pair of generally triangular pull tabs each of which overlies and engages an intermediate panel whereby said sheet is of five ply thickness in a central area thereof and has a pull tab accessible from either side of said central panel, said sheet being free of folds in a direction transverse to said pairs of fold lines in said central area thereof whereby each of said pull tabs lies in substantially a single plane throughout its extent, said folded sheet being positionable in said container with a pull tab being graspable and said sheet withdrawable from said container through said dispensing slot in substantially unfolded condition.

6. For positioning in and dispensing from a dispenser container which is to provide part of a container package and which includes a retaining wall having a dispensing slot therethrough, a stack of folded sheets to be positioned in said container to provide the other part of said package and the sheets of which are to be dispensed through said slot individually in substantially unfolded condition, the respective sheets of said stack being free of intertwined engagement with each other; each of said sheets when unfolded being of substantially rectangular configuration and being folded in opposite directions along a first pair of substantially parallel diagonal fold lines which are spaced from and extend substantially parallel to a line connecting diagonally opposite corners of said sheet, said first pair of fold lines defining a diagonally extending central panel and a pair of intermediate panels overlying and engaging opposite surfaces of said central panel, said sheet also being folded along a second pair of substantially parallel diagonal fold lines spaced from said first pair of fold lines to provide a pair of generally triangular pull tabs each of which overlies and engages an intermediate panel whereby said sheet is of five ply thickness in a central area thereof and has a pull tab accessible from either side of said central panel, said sheet being free of folds in a direction transverse to said pairs of fold lines in said central area thereof whereby each of said pull tabs lies in substantially a single plane throughout its extent; said stack of sheets being positioned on one another with a pull tab of one sheet engaged with a pull tab of another sheet, said pull tabs being alignable with a container dispensing slot when said stack is positioned in a container whereby individual sheets may be grasped and removed through such dispensing slot in substantially unfolded condition.

7. For positioning in and dispensing from a dispenser container which is to provide part of a container package 7 and which includes .a retaining wall having a dispensing slot therethrough, a stack ofr'jolded paper sheets to be positioned jn said container to provide the-other partof said package, and the sheets of which are to be-dispensed through :said slot :individually in substantially unfolded condition, the respective sheetsjof said stack being free of intertwined engagement with .each other whereby individual sheets may be separated fromsaid stack without disturbing the remaining sheets .of said stack;-each of said sheets when unfolded being of substantially square :configuration and being folded in opposite directions along a first pair of substantially, parallel diagonal vfold lines which .are spaced substantially equi-distant from and extend substantially :parallel to a'line connecting diagonally opposite corners of said .sheet,.-said first pair :of fold lines defining a-diagonally extending central panel and a pair of intermediate panels :overlying and engaging opposite surfaces :of :said central panel, :said sheet "also'being folded along a second pair of substantially parallel diagonal fold lines spaced substantially equi-distant from the.

respective lines of said first pair-of fold lines to provide a pair of generally right triangular pull tabs each of which overlies and engages an intermediatepanel whereby said sheet is of five ply thickness in a central area thereof and has a pull tab accessible from either side of said central of one sheet engaged with a" pull tabof another sheet, said pull tabs being alignable with'a containerdispensing slot when said stack is positioned in .a container whereby individual sheetsrnay-be grasped andrernoved through such dispensing slot in substantially unfolded condition.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,628,981 'l-Iorwitt 'May 17, 1927 1,684,188 'Merrin Sept. 11, 1928 2,069,264 Morris .Q Feb. 2, 1937 2,235,675 Fournier Mar. 18, 1941 2,433,587 Wentworth Dec. 30, 1947 2,477,223 West July 26, 1949 2,689,059 Nudell Sept. 14, 1954 2,704,599 Tuttle Mar. 22, 1955 

